Safety, stability of Asia-Pacific will depend on India: Senator

The safety and stability of Asia- Pacific will depend to a great extent on India, a top American Senator has said, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a strong Indo-US partnership to anchor peace in the region.

Modi’s comments speak volumes to his commitment to the US-India relationship, said Cornyn, who is Co-Chair of the Senate India Caucus, the only country-specific caucus in the US Senate.(Reuters)

The safety and stability of Asia- Pacific will depend to a great extent on India, a top American Senator has said, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a strong Indo-US partnership to anchor peace in the region.

“The safety and stability of the Asia-Pacific region in particular will depend more and more on the safety and stability of India,” Senator John Cornyn said yesterday.

“And, here in the Senate, we have ample opportunity to work with our friends from India in order to guarantee that goal,” he said.

The Republican Senator from Texas took to the Senate floor to describe Modi’s address to the joint session of the Congress earlier as a “historic day” in India-US ties.

Modi’s comments speak volumes to his commitment to the US-India relationship, said Cornyn, who is Co-Chair of the Senate India Caucus, the only country-specific caucus in the US Senate.

“When Prime Minister Modi spoke, he talked about his vision for his country’s future, including deepening and broadening the relationship with the US. That is really a welcome statement by the Prime Minister,” Cornyn said.

“Unfortunately, over the last few years – seven or eight years of the Obama Administration – many of our friends and allies around the world have questioned our commitment to those friendships and those alliances.

“And conversely, many of our adversaries have become emboldened when they see America retreating from its engagement with the rest of the world,” he said.

Cornyn said India joins the US in more joint military exercises than with any other country, and “they have a robust civil nuclear agreement that allows for the exchange of critical information and technology”.

“This has been a long time in coming,” he said.

In his address to the Congress, the Prime Minister called for a greater Indo-US partnership in the Asia-Pacific region.

“A strong India-US partnership can anchor peace, prosperity and stability from Asia to Africa and from Indian Ocean to the Pacific.

It can also help ensure security of the sea lanes of commerce and freedom of navigation on seas.

“But, the effectiveness of our cooperation would increase if international institutions framed with the mindset of the 20th century were to reflect the realities of today,” Modi had said.